Bassmasters Ladies’ Tournament

Barefoot fishes for co-angler position

By Myra Bean

Janet Barefoot has been fishing since she was a little girl and now she is ready to take her show on the road.

Born in Greenwood, she used to fish with her father, who died when she was 16, in the Yazoo River and Duck River/Kentucky Lake in Waverly, Tenn.

She met her husband Chris at 18 and they enjoy fishing out of their own fishing boat when they can find a babysitter for their three-year-old son and one-year-old daughter.

Janet is looking to take her fishing abilities to the next level.

She is looking to become a  co-angler in Bassmaster Magazine’s ladies’ tournament.

“I was really surprised by how many women were out there,” Barefoot said.

The number of interested women prompted the creation of the tournament series. Last year’s woman angler of the year was presented with a Toyota Tundra double cab pickup truck, in the first year of the tournament.

The co-angler does not drive the boat, but sits on the boat with the professional and learns different techniques and other angler tips from the professional, Barefoot said.

“That is what I would like to get started at doing and see how I like it, to get more involved in it,” she said.

The first tournament was in February. The last tournament is September 20-22, which is the one Barefoot would like to enter. It is on the Red River in Shreveport.

The Barefoots have lived in Batesville since 2000. They both are Greenwood natives. Barefoot was a teacher in Hernando for five and a half years before she gave it up to be a full time mom.

She is looking for sponsors to help cover the $350 entry fee for co-anglers which is due August 15 and also to help with other tournament fees that occur during the week of the tournament.

The practice dates are September 13-18.

The professional drives the big bass boat and the co-anglers help pay the gas which averages $50 per day, according to Barefoot. They also stay in hotels or camp out the week of the tournament.

Barefoot shared the difficulty women have obtaining sponsors for the tournament.

“Most women have a very hard time getting sponsors and fishing is a very big industry,” she said. “I have been talking to women on tour and they do all five tournaments. Most of them have sponsors that are really big like Bass Pro Shops and you are obligated to do things for them.

“Others are local donors,” she continued. “It just depends on the sponsors and I wouldn’t mind. I could do a children’s program and show them about fishing.”

Barefoot said she has always loved fishing and hunting.

A new generation of Barefoots also love the outdoors including their son who has gone turkey and deer hunting.

Her mother, Bobbie Nokes, lives in Gulf Shores, Ala.

She may contacted at chrisfeet@bellsouth.net.